The Fight of the Century
by WrenLoK
Summary: Set in the near future after the finale - Bolin, who had finally learned to metalbend, asks the important question: who would win in a non-bending Korra vs. Asami fight? Pairings: Korrasami, Bopal


The sun had only been up for an hour but Korra and Bolin had already been playing power disc for two. Bolin was getting good. He might have been better than Korra if it weren't for the fact that the arena they played in had been constructed in Asami's backyard, giving Korra plenty of time to practice.

Korra hurled the metal disc towards Bolin's end of the arena, where it bounced off the wall and skimmed the hair on Bolin's head as it swung around the post and into the goal.

'I win!' Korra threw herself forward with a blast of air, landing lightly on top of an arena post and holding up a triumphant fist.

Bolin sighed and pushed up his sleeves, one eyebrow raised hopefully. 'Best of seventeen?'

'Ha! I think you'll have to wait until next time.'

They heard a shout from the balcony and turned to see Opal and Asami leaning on the railing. 'Hey, you two,' Asami said. She was wearing an elegant pink bathrobe over pale blue pyjamas. 'Can we bring down some coffee yet?'

'Coffee? I would _loooove_ a coffee.' Bolin swept back his hair and nodded eagerly, bounding up the steps of the arena. Korra jumped down from the post and followed him.

Asami and Opal appeared a few minutes later, carrying coffee cups in each hand. Korra gladly took the steaming mug from Asami and sipped it, feeling the hot caffeine flood through her veins. They sat down together on the grassy hill above the arena, looking out at the view of the city and the mountains behind.

'So who won?' asked Opal.

'I won seven games,' Bolin said proudly.

'But we played _fifteen_,' said Korra, setting down her mug and flopping back on the grass. 'Do the math.'

Asami grinned and threaded her fingers through Korra's, running the tip of her thumb gently over Korra's bruised knuckles. 'Looks like you guys had fun,' she said. 'I wish I could play.'

'Man, sometimes I forget you're not a bender, Asami,' said Bolin. 'You would make a terrific earthbender.'

Opal titled her head to one side and looked carefully at Asami. 'You think so, though? I'd like to think Asami would be an airbender. She's so graceful.'

Asami smiled modestly. 'I don't know what I'd be.'

'A firebender,' Korra whispered. The others heard and glanced at her. Korra gave a small smirk and looked at Asami with a subtle, affirmative nod. 'She'd be a firebender.'

Bolin's eyes narrowed as he looked from Korra's face to Asami's shy grin. 'I feel like there's some kind of inside joke I'm missing here….' He shrugged, drained his coffee mug and gave a contended sigh. 'You know, there is something else I've been wondering. In a theoretical world where Korra was a non-bender — and therefore not the Avatar — who would win in a fight?' He stood up dramatically, flinging a hand out to each girl as he announced their names: 'Asami Sato, genius engineer and martial arts master, or Korra, prodigy fighting talent and, er, non … Avatar?'

Korra rolled her eyes. 'I don't know, Bolin, it's a theory.'

'It doesn't have to be …' Asami said quietly.

Korra sat up with a frown. 'What does that mean?'

Asami gave a little shrug. 'Well, it's not theoretical that you can fight _without_ bending. So there's no reason why we couldn't find out the answer.'

The sound of a ceramic mug shattering on stone cut through the silence and Korra looked up to see Bolin's mouth hanging all the way open, coffee cup in pieces at his feet.

'Ugh, Bolin, that was part of a set—'

'Sorry Asami, I'm just having an insanely starstruck moment here. Are you guys seriously going to fight it out? Because that would be amazing. Seriously, amazing. Varrick's movers amazing.'

'Sit down,' Opal sighed, pulling on Bolin's arm. 'Korra and Asami are not going to do anything they don't want to do.'

Asami got to her feet, extending a hand for Korra to take. 'Korra doesn't seem that into it. I think because she can't bear the idea that I would win—'

'That is not even true!' Korra avoided Asami's outstretched hand and launched herself to her feet. 'I could be into it. And I would win.'

'Uh huh. Sure.' Asami scooped up the broken pieces of Bolin's mug and headed up the steps towards the house.

'I would win,' Korra said determinedly to the two left standing beside her. Opal nodded encouragingly, but Bolin just bit his lip.

'I'm going to get dressed,' Asami called from the top step. 'I'm putting on my combat boots.'

Korra felt an excited fire surging through her. From their spot on the hill she flung out a hand towards the power disc arena, taunting the disc right out of the goal and sending it careening through the posts right into the opposite goal, metallic clangs ringing across the yard.

'She wants to fight? It is on. It is so on.' Korra swivelled on her heel and stormed up towards the house.

Bolin watched her go. 'I need a camera,' he said.

Opal whacked him on the arm, a gust of air ruffling his hair and jacket. 'You do not, Bolin!'

'Okay, okay. Well, let me at least do some commentary.'

'Roll up, roll up, for the most exciting battle of the century! Well, except for battles of the Fire Ferrets, and maybe that time Korra took out Zaheer —'

'_Bolin_!'

'Right, right, getting on with it … okay. Here are the rules.'

Bolin's audience was none other than Opal, Pabu, and a sleepy Naga, whom Korra had coaxed out of her sleeping spot between Asami's cars in the garage. Something about Naga's presence made her feel much calmer about the impending battle. For some reason Korra felt nervous, and she wasn't sure why.

'The rules are simple!' Bolin continued, perched atop the wall of the power disc arena. When Asami had agreed to let Korra build the arena in the middle of the yard, she made sure it was useful for other kinds of training too — the tall metal posts that were necessary for power disc games could retract into the ground and clear an empty, open space for a different style of combat. 'The first rule is, of course, no bending!' Bolin shouted, to no one in particular. 'And the second rule is, y'know, don't kill each other. Obviously. All right?'

'Ready, Kor?' Asami had picked an outfit that somewhat mirrored Korra's — heavy combat boots, tight black pants, lightweight tank top. Her wavy black hair was pulled up out of her eyes in a casual ponytail. She loosened her shoulders and drew her hands up in front of her face. Korra could just see Asami's bright red lips smiling faintly between them, and her heart raced.

'Ready? Set? Round one!'

Bolin earthbent a piece of rock into the wall of the arena, sending a loud, clear ding reverberating through the air.

_Just pretend it's not her_. Korra tried to imagine one of the young and flighty airbenders she helped train with Tenzin in place of her girlfriend, in hopes that she'd be able to concentrate better on the fight. This did not help — by the time she had the image right, Asami was running full speed towards Korra, and it was too late to move.

_Slam_. Asami slid forward in a sweeping kick that knocked Korra off her feet. Korra rolled over and launched herself back up, trying to get a focus point on Asami's swiftly moving body, but all she could hear was Bolin's enthusiastic whoop of surprise.

'Whoaaa! Who would have expected that Asami Sato would land the first hit, against the _Avatar_!'

'Come on, Korra, give it to me,' Asami teased.

Korra threw herself forward and hurled a punch straight at Asami's head. Asami ducked, swung her own arm back, threw a punch. Korra dodged.

Sweep—

Block—

Swing—

Dive—

Block—

Twist—

Kick—

Block—

Swing—

_Bend_.

Korra flung her arm out to block Asami's kick and felt a blast of air shoot across her body and out over her hand, hitting Asami square in the chest and sending her flying backwards.

'Foul!' Bolin screamed.

Korra bolted to the spot where Asami had fallen. 'Asami, are you okay? I'm sorry! I _totally_ didn't mean to do that!'

Asami struggled to her feet with a choked laugh. 'Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a little winded.' She put her hands on her knees, tossing her ponytail over one shoulder, and glanced up Bolin as she caught her breath. 'Who's winning, Bolin?'

'Tough to say. Korra definitely loses points for that blunder. Better watch your bending, Korra! The Avatar does not exist in this theoretical universe…'

Asami laughed as Korra went red. 'I think we're ready for round two.'

Korra tried to shake off her buzzing anxiety. 'I'm gonna go tougher on you this round, Sato. Better look out.'

'Oh, I'm ready.'

Round two was more intense. Both Korra and Asami went for bigger jumps and longer dives, playing with the space in between each other, trying to taunt their opponent into coming too close and getting hit. Asami was clearly dominating this round, landing kicked after kick against Korra, some of which Korra just barely dodged, and others that left her no option but take the full impact and keeping fighting back. Asami's fighting skill was impressive, as she'd always known, but seeing it like this was … well, intimate. There came a point in the middle where Korra found the battle almost enjoyable, the way their bodies danced around each other, swift and energised, blood pumping through ears, clothes drenched in sweat, skin almost touching—

_Crack_.

Korra's perfectly timed flying sidekick struck Asami directly in the ribs. Asami tumbled over her own legs and rolled forward onto the ground, collapsing against the wall of the arena. Korra instinctively went for a follow-through move and stopped just short as Asami threw up a helpless arm in defence.

Korra halted so hard she staggered backwards, barely keeping her balance, shocked that she had almost attempted to hit her fallen opponent in this kind of contest. Especially Asami. After a second, Korra realised her girlfriend still hadn't gotten up, and she felt her heart just about explode in her chest. She wanted to go to Asami's side but for some reason she couldn't find the will to move.

'Time? I'm calling time!' Bolin slid off the wall and came running forward. Korra glanced up at the hill and saw Opal standing, trying to crane her neck and see what had happened. Even Naga had her head raised, sniffing the air for danger.

Bolin reached for Asami's arm but she managed to shake him off.

'Bolin it's fine. I'm good. Just got caught a little off guard that time. Nice kick, Korra.' Asami got to her feet and dusted herself off, breathing hard. Her lipstick had faded in the heat of the fight, and what was left of it she planted on Korra, as she leaned over and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. Korra stood ridged as Asami's breath tickled her ear.

'Hey, I'm okay,' Asami said. 'And I'm not giving up either and letting you win this. Let's go!' She said it as much to Korra as she did to Bolin, who was dumbstruck again at the fighting power he was witnessing.

'Right, right! Round three is on!' He shook himself out of it and ran back to his vantage point on the wall, where he let his rock-gong hurl them head-on into the final round.

Korra had learned two things about Asami during this fight. Firstly, Asami could more than definitely give her a run for her money endurance-wise, and that was impressive. What was more surprising to Korra was Asami's ease, or perhaps even a kind of trust, towards landing a serious punch on Korra and not being scared it might kill her. The next punch slammed straight into Korra's jaw and she felt blood rush inside her mouth, and with it a kind of adrenaline-fuelled anger. Korra threw herself at Asami — they crashed into the ground, Korra ready to hurl a steady hit —

Right before she swung the punch she took in Asami's face. White cheek flushed pink, tilted slightly to the side as if ready to take the impact. Eyes closed. A meditative readiness for the damage Korra was about to do.

It took all of Korra's strength to let her arm go slack. Her heart was thundering inside her chest, and as the anger subsided a horrible fear welled up. She felt everything crowding her memory with a frightening fervour — Kuvira. Zaheer. Herself.

'I can't do it,' Korra gasped. She let go of Asami's arm and stepped backwards, trembling. Bolin was looking down at her expectantly. Korra felt like her lungs were collapsing. She couldn't breath. Panic welled up inside her and before she knew it she had airbent her way out of the arena and was running for the house.

'Korra!' She heard Asami call her name but she kept running anyway, a panic-stricken flight straight through the main door, which she slammed behind her.

The house was quiet and dark. Korra paused in the middle of the foyer, grateful for the cool air calming her fiery skin. Not using bending when it felt so instinctual had taken a toll on her body. She had felt what she sensed was the Avatar state screaming inside her, begging to get out. With a silent scream she launched a huge gust of air at the ceiling, sending the chandelier into a death rattle that wavered through the walls.

Almost bent over double she took a deep breath and tried to gain composure. It was okay. She hadn't really hurt Asami. She had stopped before anything bad had happened. This had been such a stupid idea. She was never going to do it again.

'Korra?'

Her own breathing was so loud she hadn't heard the door open. She whirled around to see Asami standing behind her in the darkness. Asami took a tentative step towards Korra with one hand slightly outstretched, as if ready to throw her arms up in unarmed surrender.

'What's wrong? I thought we were having some kind of crazy, stupid fun out there.' Her lips quirked in a small smile and she took the band out of her hair, shaking her hair loose over her shoulders and running her fingers through it.

Korra sighed. 'I don't know. I just … I can't do this. It doesn't feel right.'

Asami reached her, standing so close their noses were almost touching. She lifted her left hand to touch Korra's right, stroking her fingers. 'We don't have to fight anymore if you don't want to.'

'I don't want to hurt you,' Korra whispered, and the moment she said it she felt a release of relief. 'I'm scared that I won't be able to control myself.'

'I wasn't scared,' Asami said. 'I trust you, Korra. In fact, I think I did more damage to you.' She smiled and reached up to touch Korra's split lip. Korra winced slightly at the pain.

'Asami, I can't hurt you,' she insisted, almost pleading.

'No,' Asami whispered. 'You can't.' She pressed her hand to Korra's waist, pulled her close and kissed her.

Cold heat rushed through Korra and she kissed Asami back. She didn't care about the pain in her lip anymore. The adrenaline pumping through her was better than any she had experienced in a fight. She wrapped her arms tight around Asami's waist, closing all the space between them.

A loud scraping sound interrupted them and they broke apart.

'That's Naga,' Korra sighed. She slowly let her hand trail away from Asami's body and strode for the door, flinging it open to find Naga filling the entire doorframe, clawing at the wood, with Bolin and Opal standing behind her.

Bolin and Opal squeezed past the furry giant and into the house.

'All right, so, clearly it's game over,' Bolin said. 'What I want to know is, who won?'

Korra glanced over her shoulder at Asami and felt her cheeks go pink. 'Me.'


End file.
